1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to complementary surfactant systems for use in drilling operations and to methods for making and using same.
More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to complementary surfactant systems for use in drilling operations and to methods for making and using same, where the systems include a surfactant subsystem and an optional solvent subsystem, where the surfactant subsystem includes a fluorinated surfactant and a silicon surfactant, where the systems is tunable to a particular producing formation to achieve a desirable foam height and foam half life in drilling, producing and stimulating operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is paucity of oil compatible surfactants possessing desirable foam properties for multipurpose mining operations like drilling, and crude and especially condensate removal.
Oil-based or so called hydrocarbon surfactants are of two categories: silicone based surfactants and fluorocarbon based surfactants. While use of the fluorocarbon surfactants have been limited to mining operations like fracturing and maybe condensate removal as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,796,702; 4,836,281; and 4,404,112), silicone surfactants have been demonstrated lately by Falana, et. al. in US Publication No. 2010-0000795 A1 to be suitable for formulations used in underbalanced drilling. Yet, use of the surfactants in removing condensates is characterized by unexplained inconsistencies in compatibility or the lack thereof from one condensate to another. Hitherto, in the US, fluorocarbon surfactants are known environmental toxins, while silicone based surfactants are known to be made up in solvents that are cancer suspects or environmentally non-benign such as alkyl benzenes. Furthermore, blend of polyglycosides and amphoteric surfactants have been used to unload less than 100% condensates as described in US 2007/0181307 A1.
Thus, there is a need in the art for surfactant systems for use in drilling, producing and stimulating operations, which is tunable to a producing formation so that a desired foam height and half life may be achieved.